Dell Venue Update

As it turned out, the first Dell Venue tablet I received at the beginning of February was defective.  Dell replaced the tablet and I picked it up on Tuesday.  So far it is working.  It is similar to the iPad, but a has all of the power, software capabilities, and storage of a desktop.  I still do not like the attached keyboard, but hopefully will get an upgrade.  When all of the files from the older model laptop are moved to the Dell Venue, I will turn the laptop back into IT.

I did pick up a rubber tipped stylus to use with it from Best Buy this week.  The screen size is so small, that they stylus helps when making selections.

While it was frustrating to attempt to get the first Dell Venue to work for 4 works, I have to commend DellCares on Twitter.  They constantly reached out to me to resolve the problems.  DellCares was an amazing experience.  Kudos to those who were so supportive as well as the University IT support person - Matt!!

I wanted the new tablet to use as I am finishing up the first round of edits for the 5th edition Informatics and Nursing textbook.  I wanted the ability to take high resolution screenshots.  The replacement came just in time. 

iPad Working with a Smart TV

I wanted to watch some YouTube videos on television this morning.  Our television happens to be a Smart TV, which means it can connect to the Internet.  I selected the YouTube app on the television, and got a pop-up menu indicating that I could use a mobile app remotely to control the television.  That was PERFECT, since it would make data entry simpler.

I got my iPad and followed the information on the television screen to pair it with the iPad.  It was very similar to pairing the iPad with a Bluetooth keyboard or pairing it with another computer.  I was prompted to verify my gmail address, and entered a couple codes to screens and it worked!  The result was amazing.  I wanted to watch some travel videos about Brussels, Bruge, and Amsterdam.  The large high definition television pictures were amazing.

If you have a smart TV and a mobile app and you have not yet paired the devices, try it and enjoy!!

Growth in the Use of Mobile Devices - Pew Research

I monitor Pew Research and Harris Interactive resources to keep up with changes in the use of technology.  Pew Research has a site on the use of mobile devices at http://www.pewinternet.org/data-trend/mobile/device-ownership/

The data is current as of January 2014.  It shows that 90% of adults in America have a cell phone and 58% of those use a smartphone.  The growth in cell phones was higher than desktop or laptop computers.  The number of tablets and ereaders is steadily climbing.  The website has an innovative interactive chart worth reviewing.

Writing for Publication - Considerations Before Sending a Paper to a Journal Editor

Linda shared the article, My Professor Said to Submit my Paper (We Hope They Also Told You This), online at http://ajnoffthecharts.com/2013/02/22/my-professor-said-to-submit-my-paper-they-should-have-also-told-you-this/.  It has outstanding points!  When writing for publication, it should be the initial goal and should address the audience, writing style, and author guidelines of the journal.

I have used journal article simulations in the classes I teach for about 10 years.  Because the papers were written using journal author guidelines and the journal reading audience, several students have had their papers published.  In fact, one student I taught had a paper published a couple of years ago, while she was in the graduate program and one published last month in the Journal of Trauma Nursing a few months after she graduated.

The most recent issue of Nurse Author & Editor Newsletter had a similar article, Let's Talk About Getting Students to Write. You can read the article at http://www.nurseauthoreditor.com/article.asp?id=241 
The newsletter is free but requires you to create a log-in and password.  I highly recommend signing up the the newsletter for all students and faculty who are considering writing for publication in a journal.